One of Iran’s most senior clerics has declared that this summer’s presidential election should be scrapped, with a successor to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad handpicked by MPs rather than the people.

With debate raging in Tehran over whether elections are free and fair, Grand Ayatollah Jabar Sobhani said that June’s vote should be ditched to preserve national unity.

The comments, by one of Iran’s highest religious authorities, suggest that the regime is still nervous about retaining control of the election campaign and the result. The Government was embarrassed by the nationwide protests that marred the 2009 poll, prompting a savage crackdown.